Save Gunther: A Beloved Support Dog

Help a disabled family take care of their beloved support dog, Gunther!

This is Gunther! He is my emotional support animal, and despite not being trained, my unofficial service animal, as well. He helps monitor diabetic blood sugar swings for both me and my son. I am a retired minister with a small home.

Gunther is about eight years old. I adopted him five years ago. He is a happy, expressive, sensitive, curious, friendly, helpful, and above all, loving boxer/lab/“whatever” mix. I adopted him a little over five years ago. Despite only knowing a couple of commands, he is an eager learner, and is incredibly attentive to his people — and to others in general. It was the first thing I and my son noticed about him, along with that face!

Now, five years later, we have had the chance to save his life, as he has ours. But it’s left me with deepening debt and expensive ongoing medical costs. We are fundraising to cover these unexpected costs for his health care, especially an expensive new special diet that he will need to follow for the foreseeable future. No one wants to let go of their beloved companion because they can’t afford to maintain their health, but that’s a possibility I’m facing.

First, a bit more about Gunther:

Through several moves -- including during a pandemic! -- Gunther has been a joy everywhere he goes. He wins over hearts with his many loves: sunbathing, running, making incredibly expressive faces. But above all, what Gunther loves is making friends with dogs, people, cats, and a number of other species. He’s had more dog friends than we can keep track of each time we’ve moved, right up to our past three years in my own house. And little dogs are his favorite — he’s even helped rescue little dogs who got loose on four different occasions!

Gunther has been with us through thick and thin. He's saved our lives many times over, alerting both of his diabetic people when their numbers are off, and even alerting us to dangerously unsafe conditions in our apartment five years ago.

This September, Gunther developed an acute case of pancreatitis. His case was bad enough that it mimicked all the symptoms of a bowel blockage, and we thought he might have swallowed something we didn’t know about.

Vet care costs have changed drastically since we adopted Gunther five years ago. The Rochester area, in particular, now has very limited emergency vet availability. We tried to wait to get him to his regular vet, but he reached crisis stage on a Sunday. All the local emergency and urgent cares were full. As is common here right now, I ended up having to make an hour and a half drive to Tonawanda to a place called Greenacres.

Greenacres found the correct diagnosis, which at first was a relief. Then they presented us with possible treatment options. Inpatient care was at least $6,000 and completely out of reach for us. Luckily, the vet said Gunther was otherwise healthy enough that they could recommend the cheaper outpatient alternative.

The cheaper care option, however, still left us with approximately $2,000 in Emergency Veterinary Bills, plus travel costs, the costs of boiled organic chicken breasts and rice, and the costs of a follow-up visit with his regular vet.

By late September, our regular vet said he might be in the clear. But a couple weeks later, the telltale back arching of pancreatitis reappeared, and an Urgent Care visit confirmed that a slower but definite flare-up had emerged. Though it was caught quickly, this means his illness is likelier to recur chronically. Gunther may need expensive food for up to a year, and additional flare-ups may happen anyway.

When he seemed “cured” in mid-October, Gunther had gained a sense of rejuvenation. Even a week before his second bout, he was boisterous and energetic. As he’s recovered, he’s been achy and slowed down but has had many good days when his joy and sense of play are uncontainable.

The whole neighborhood knows him, within a half mile in each direction. During his illnesses, neighbors I’ve never even met have told my son how much they miss seeing him. His two beloved cats, as well as his two beloved people, are curled up near him at all times.

Long-term recovery looks possible, but it will also be expensive. I have already accrued several thousand dollars in new debt, and Gunther’s new prescription diet may cost up to $600 a month. This is daunting if not impossible on a fixed income.

My goal is to raise money to cover the costs of the last two months, and as much as possible, the ongoing costs of an expensive prescription diet. Anything beyond that will be used to build a reserve fund in case there is a future crisis.

My son and I are putting our hearts and souls into helping Gunther recover and heal. We are putting what we can into this, financially, as well. This is a wonderful dog with incredible gifts as an assistance dog, and a very kind animal. I know it’s a lot to ask, with people having so many other worries right now. If there is a way that you can contribute, even if it’s small, any gift will be appreciated.

Thank you, and God bless you all.

Future costs:

Estimated monthly costs of prescription diet — 500-600

One year — $6000-7200

— Reserve fund for extra medical costs (see past costs below) — $3000

Costs I have incurred so far:

— Emergency vet bill (exam, outpatient treatment, prescriptions): $2,195.31

— First follow-up with regular vet (including prescription): $182.96

— Urgent Care bill (exam, prescriptions): $328.32

— 2nd follow-up visit with regular vet: $149.08

— September—mid-October extra food costs (organic rice, organic boiled chicken breasts): ~$180

— End of October costs from starting prescription diet: $557.62

— November food costs (estimated) $500-600